The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in measuring and/or treating selectively disordered tissues in human or animal body. More particularly, the invention relates to a medical apparatus for testing and/or treating afflicted area of human body by inducing electrical, electromagnetic or other forms of stimulation of the area to be tested or treated.
As is well known, various parts of the human body, such as muscles, nerves, organs and other soft or hard tissues can be electrically stimulated by different electronic devices designed to measure electrical potentials thereof. For instance, medical devices known as electromyographs have been used in research and for teaching purposes on muscular activity. Other devices, known as bio-feedback systems, are adapted to measure physiological activity of a person and to perform physical therapy based on monitored electric signals. These and other related devices have been described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,712,975 to Golseth et al.; 3,641,993 to Gaarder; 3,817,254 to Maurer; 3,916,876 to Freeman; 4,170,225 to Criglar et al.; 4,177,819 to Kofsky et al.; 4,249,537 to Lee et al.; 4,340,063 to Maurer; and 4,434,798 to Trnkoczy et al. Moreover, three related to each other U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,105,017, 4,266,532 and 4,266,533 to Ryaby et al. disclose devices for altering the growth, repair and maintenance behavior of living tissues and/or cells, particularly bones, by subjecting the desired area of the body to a specifically encoded voltage and concomitant current.
While the above-mentioned prior art patents describe various forms of devices generating pulses for stimulation and control of contraction of muscles and other living tissues, we have developed a new device which encompasses a distinct approach in the diagnosis and treatment of muscular and other tissue disorders not heretofore known in the art.